Richland Source hopes that our Common Core series has answered pertinent questions for the public. As a final chapter, we asked parents for their perspective on Common Core and PARCC. Some weighed in on our Facebook page; others expressed opinions included in this article.
Local parent Larry Betts noted that he has come to appreciate Common Core. “As a parent, there was some confusion, initially. You know, the standard ‘New stuff!! No!’ type of freak out. But as I looked more into it, not only do I understand the teaching, but I’ve also been able to gain an appreciation for it,” he said.
“Even if you’re looking at simple as 2+2=4, we all know that, right? But how many people can tell you why?” he continued. “That’s the key to Common Core. Do we need to have such an analytical mind to understand why 2+2=4? Not likely, but as we advance in math, the ‘why’ behind the scenes can make a big difference.”
Other parents disagreed.
“When you can teach my kid to count back change, then you can teach them to do math,” said one parent, who asked to remain anonymous.
Berta Cross, a local mother of four children, said, “I was very against common core math the first day my 1st-grader brought a paper home I didn’t understand. It’s very frustrating for parents to help their kids when it’s like reading a foreign language.”
Cross submitted a video of her 4th grade son doing a math problem. “Common core stretches their work out beyond belief. This is a simple problem you or I could solve in our heads,” she said.
Cross said she asked her 4th and 6th graders if they would like to opt out of [PARCC] testing. She said both children said they’d spent too much time studying for the test to opt out. She added that the 6th grader had taken the first portion of the English language arts (ELA) test, which was only seven questions, and the student felt good about it.
“To sum it up, we as parents need to talk with our kids about what they feel they can do and go with that,” she said.
Parent Karrie Williamson said her child is an Individualized Education Program (IEP) student. Williamson said she refused to let her child be tested, noting that scoring below proficient on previous testing had upset her child.
She explained, “Making a child who has special needs, or not, sit through 16 hours of testing is crazy. Our children should not fear going to school to be educated. They also shouldn’t be bullied by the teachers to do their best. Every student learns differently and should not be given the same test as a ‘typical’ child.”
The anonymous parent said they had spoken with their child’s school about opting out of testing. The school said the child would get a zero, and therefore so would the district.
“Good,” said the parent, “I want a bunch of people to get zeros, and the schools to get zeros, so this goes away.”
“I think the teachers are losing sight of why they are there,” the parent added. “I want the teachers to be able to teach and not prepare for testing.”
“When are they going to be teaching, like they are supposed to be doing,” they said. “When is my kid going to learn?”
Editor’s note: In an effort to provide fair coverage regarding Common Core, we are providing the video below. Columbus’ Math Plus Academy founder explains why math is taught differently.
Why is Math Different Now from raj shah on Vimeo.
“When you can teach my kid to count back change, then you can teach them to do math,” said one parent, who asked to remain anonymous.
